


Healing

by Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate



Category: Mother 3
Genre: Body Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Post-Canon, Recovery, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-03-10 04:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18931495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate/pseuds/Vanilla_Owns_Chocolate
Summary: Lucas helps the chimeras heal, including a certain red-haired boy.





	Healing

It isn't easy, after the end.

Lucas wants to believe that everything can go back to the way it was, that the chimeras can heal and move forward and become docile and friendly once again. He still holds out that hope every time he goes to visit them, even when his visits end with cuts and slash marks around his face and arms and legs. They're just scared, he thinks to himself every day, they're just scared wild animals who don't remember what happened to them. They don't deserve to be put down because they're confused. Maybe, with a little kindness, they can heal.

This is what Lucas wants to believe, despite Kumatora and Duster telling him otherwise. "It's no use, kid," Duster says to him gently, "they're gonna be like this forever unless we do something."

"Hate to admit it, but he's right, dude," Kuma agrees, "I don't think these things can get any better. Claus can, maybe, but-"

"Don't say that!" Lucas interrupts, pressing his hands to his ears. "Don't say 'maybe!' He _will_ get better, and they will, too!"

Everybody goes quiet after that, because they can hear the trembling in his voice and they know that means that he's trying not to cry so they wrap their arms around him and give him a big reassuring squeeze, but this time it doesn't do much good. Lucas sighs, blinks away the tears (he's gotten quite good at that, it's almost scary), and lets himself give in to the embrace despite not feeling a single thing. He knows his friends are just trying to help, and he loves and appreciates that - it's been so long since the last time somebody tried to make him feel better - but he can't bring himself to reciprocate their gestures.

He tries everything to help the chimeras. He brings them food, talks to them, tries to make their homes a little neater. They always destroy the flowers he plants, ignore him, or lunge for the food he brings, completely disregarding him and occasionally giving him some nasty scrapes. But Lucas is very patient, and he always knows when to bail if they get too vicious, so he doesn't end up with any fatal injuries.

For the most part, dealing with the chimeras has become somewhat of a job for him. Every day, he wakes up, eats breakfast, gets dressed, and heads out on his thirty-minute walk to the forest sanctuary that was made specially for them, sometimes with Boney to keep him company because he doesn't like walking by himself anymore. Boney can find his way home after that, and then Lucas has all the time in the world to care for the chimeras in any way he can.

All of this is easy for him now. It's coming home that's the hardest.

It went without saying that Claus was never the same since the end. Even his appearance is different - the freckles that once dotted his face have faded, his limbs are misshapen and have wires poking out of them at random, and one of his eyes is a bright red, clashing violently with his natural emerald green one. He looks like a bunch of puzzle pieces that were put together in the wrong order. They don't fit, not really, but they stick together just well enough to barely form the image of a person. Sometimes, if Lucas looks at him from afar, he almost looks recognizable. This never lasts for long, however, as his eyes begin to pick out the details that don't match up with his memory of who his brother once was.

Claus has good days and bad days. On good days, he behaves almost normally, as if none of it ever happened and he's the same boy who went missing all those years ago. But sometimes, for brief periods of time, he forgets who he is. He'll look at Lucas, fearful uncertainty in his horribly mismatched eyes, and say, "I know you, I know who you are, but who am I? Why can't I remember anything? Why do I know who everyone is, but I can't remember anything about myself?" And Lucas has no answer, so he just shrugs and pulls his brother in for a hug as the two of them try to hold back tears.

On bad days, he becomes a different person - less of a person, more animalistic and fierce. Lucas can't keep track of how many times he's come home to see his dad standing out in the front yard, shaking his head and gesturing to the house with a small murmur of, "Your brother needs you again." Lucas knows what's coming now, but the first time it happened, he was in complete shock, too paralyzed with fear to properly register what was going on. Now, he opens the door and doesn't bat an eye at what he sees.

The house's interior is a mess, dents and cracks and scratches lining the wooden walls and floor. Claus is usually tearing away at something with his teeth - a pillow, a bag, an old stuffed animal. Boney is either in the corner or on top of a piece of furniture, barking loudly and growling at Claus to knock it off and snap out of it. When he sees Lucas, he runs to his side and gets in front of him in a protective stance, and Lucas can read his thoughts: _Don't get near him._

But Claus is too far gone to pay attention to Lucas' arrival until he gets closer to him, and then, without warning, wraps him in a big embrace, forcing more savage cries and grunts out of him as he struggles to break free.

"Shh," Lucas mumbles, "it's okay. I'm here, Claus, it's me, Lucas. I'm your brother, remember?"

But Claus can't remember, he's too focused on wriggling around and sinking his sharp teeth into Lucas' arms and kicking and hitting and scratching at him, his nails far too sharp for his skin to handle without drawing blood. He can't even speak, his only vocalizations come in the form of growls and shrieks that sound almost inhuman. Lucas doesn't mind. He keeps hugging him anyway, hoping to jog Claus' memory in the form of affection.

"Its okay, you're okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he continues, "you're not a monster, you're Claus. You're my brother. You can snap out of this."

Claus ignores him, but as time goes by, his movements become more human. He went from clawing to punching, biting to prying at Lucas' hands, growling to sobbing. Lucas lets him do all of this, waiting for the violence to die down.

When it does, Claus is silent save for the cries that escape his lips. He goes completely still in Lucas' arms, shuddering and trembling and staring at his own limbs like he was trapped in the body of a stranger. Lucas hugs him closer.

"You're okay, Claus. You're you. You remember, right?"

Claus doesn't respond, but Lucas knows he can understand him. He always does.

For a while after that, Claus is completely mute. He doesn't say or do much aside from sweep his gaze across the room before looking down, ashamed of himself for the damage he knows he's caused. Lucas cleans it all up while he sits on the couch recovering. He's grown used to this by now.

When he's all finished and the room looks like it had always been pristine and perfect, Lucas plops down on the couch beside Claus, who is usually snuggling with Boney. Lucas pats his back reassuringly and asks, "Feel better? Need anything?"

Claus is silent, though sometimes e shakes his head and simply pulls Boney closer. Lucas nods and leaves him alone, but always making sure to keep a close eye on him.

And then, the next morning, Claus is back to normal, as if none of it ever happened.

"Morning, Lucas!" he chirps. "Sleep well? I had a dream last night that I was being chased by a huge drago!"

And Lucas laughs, like always, while his brother tells him about his dreams, because he somehow always manages to have happy dreams and Lucas can't help but be grateful for that as much as he envies it. He wishes his dreams were as carefree as Claus'.

And so it goes on good days and bad days until Lucas can kind of turn his brain on autopilot. Motions become mechanical, words become memorized, and even thought patterns become the same as Lucas begins to adjust to this new way of life. He still cares for his brother, but there's not much else he can do except for what he's always done. Claus, from what he can tell, doesn't seem to mind. He never gets better, but he never gets worse, either. Everything stays the same for them.

It becomes somewhat depressing, the monotony. Lucas tries his best to remind Claus that he is loved and cared for, but sometimes he's unsure if he's making any real impact at all. No matter what he does, things stay the same, and Lucas isn't sure whether he's happier this way or not. On the one hand, it allows him to give Claus the proper care in any situation, but on the other, it doesn't feel as if any progress is being made. Lucas ponders over this every day, wondering what he's doing wrong, what he could be doing better.

And then, one day, it just hits him, right before he goes out on his morning walk to the chimera sanctuary. Of course. Of _course!_

He tells Boney to stay and rushes upstairs, shaking his brother awake. "Claus, Claus, wake up!"

Claus mutters something in his sleep and turns to look at Lucas, eyes unfocused and fatigued. Luckily, he seems to be capable of speech today. "Uggh, Luke, what time is it?"

"It's five in the morning, but listen," Lucas rushes to get the words out before Claus ignores him and goes back to sleep. "I want you to come with me today. I think there's something you need to see."

Claus' eyes open a bit more, and Lucas can see the curiosity glimmering in them; the one thing about him that hasn't changed is his expressive nature. "What, is it a surprise?"

"Sorta. C'mon, me and Boney are heading out."

Claus yawns and stretches, getting out of bed. "So, are we sneaking out? What about Dad?"

"I'll leave him a note. Now, hurry up."

"Fine, fine." Claus mumbles, plodding over to the closet to get dressed. Lucas waits patiently for him to finish - he wants his brother to at least be somewhat presentable, even though the chimeras probably won't mind - and then they head out, Boney in tow, his tail wagging in excitement.

"So, a surprise?" Claus asks, now more awake and eager than before. "Can you gimme a hint? Is it something cool?"

Lucas laughs and rubs his arm. "Um...well, not exactly. I just thought it would be good for you, y'know?"

Claus rolled his eyes. "Y'know, sometimes you sound like-" He pauses, nearly choking on his own words, and decides to stay silent. Lucas, realizing what he was about to say, falls silent too; neither of them want to think about the elephant in the room that had remained ever since the world had reset.

Despite the Dark Dragon's incredible power, it had been greatly weakened upon waking up and could only do so much. Resetting the world had taken a lot of what little power it still had, and unfortunately, it could not bring Hinawa back. The chimeras were able to be healed because they were part machine and, therefore, had the ability to be repaired. Hinawa, on the other hand, was entirely organic, and reviving an organic creature was much more difficult for the dragon in its weakened state. So, much to Lucas' dismay, his mother could not be brought back.

It's a depressing thought, but it can't be helped. Lucas misses his mom dearly, but he's had three years to grieve for her, so he's grown used to the pain of her not being there. No, what really worries him is Claus. His memory, while damaged, still contained all the details of Hinawa's death up until...well, his own. Everything after that is a complete blur to him, and Lucas doesn't have the heart to tell him what happened after he went searching for the drago that killed her. So he just tells him that the search was a failure, and while it's technically the truth, it still feels awful to say every time it leaves his lips.

Claus is kicking the pebbles underneath his feet as they walk together, staring down at the ground. He's still bitter, Lucas thinks, a pang of shame and guilt eating away at his mind at the thought. By now, Claus had given up on trying to pursue the drago, but Lucas could still sense the regret and fury and determination within him every time he thought about it. It was hard to keep him from storming out of bed the first few days after the end, and even harder to convince him that killing the drago still wouldn't bring her back.

The rest of the walk there is silent, save for Boney's occasional barks every time he found himself running ahead of his owners by accident. He tries thinking of jokes to lighten the mood, but none of them work very well. Dogs aren't known for their comedy, after all.

Finally, the path ends, and Lucas spots the familiar fence that signified the entrance to the sanctuary. He grabs Claus' shoulder and points ahead, prompting him to look up.

"Look!" Lucas cries eagerly. "There it is! That's the place I go to every morning!" Taking Claus' arm, he pulls him along, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Wha- hey!" Claus exclaims, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Slow down, dude!" Though he's struggling to keep his balance, there is laughter in his voice, and Lucas seizes upon it the second it is detected.

Boney is running alongside them, barking happily, and for a second Lucas feels like a kid again, running through the woods with his brother and dog in tow, the wind blowing through his hair and cooling his skin. He almost wants the moment to last forever, but the path is relatively short, and it isn't long until they're at the top of the hill and Lucas is digging in his pocket for the key to the entrance.

"What is this place?" Claus asks, curiosity taking over him. He's already darting his head around wildly, taking in as much of the area as he can, occasionally standing on his toes to try and get a better look at everything. Lucas chuckles and opens to gate, ushering him inside.

"There's something I want you to see," he says, "just...promise you won't freak out, okay?"

"Oooh, why? Is it creepy?" Claus' voice grows more and more eager. Lucas rolls his eyes.

"Be serious. This is kinda personal, okay?"

Claus sighs, but obeys the serious look on his brother's face and remains still. Together, they step into the sanctuary's entrance and out into the grassy reserve.

"Well...what do you think?" Lucas asks, unsure how Claus will react.

Claus says nothing, taking in his surroundings with wide, flabbergasted eyes. All around him are animals he knows he's seen before, but they look...different. Some of them look like they've been fused together, while others look like they were once composed of inorganic material. He sees all kinds of creatures from little mice with wings to kangaroos with shark heads, from turtles with rusted steel plating on their shells to packs of lions with patches of their fur replaced with cold metal. Claus looks at these creatures and feels...something he can't quite describe. Is it familiarity? Fear? Comfort? All three?

"What are these?" he finally asks, and he's surprised at how much his voice cracks as he speaks.

"These are chimeras," Lucas explains carefully, "like you. They've been through a lot of pain, and now they're trying to heal, too." He puts a hand on his brother's shoulder to try to direct his attention back to him. "I thought...I thought it would be best if you came along to see this. Maybe you guys can recover together."

Claus says nothing. He just continues to stare at the chimeras, taking in every detail. He can see the wires poking through their flesh, hear the mechanical clicks and whirs from the remnants of whatever machine parts had been used on them, see the unnatural coloring of their eyes and the stiff movements of those who aren't used to walking in their current state. It all feels so familiar somehow, like he should know them, like he's forgetting something important, but he can't. He knows that he should, because Lucas told him that something happened after he went to go avenge their mother, but he just can't.

"Is this...my fault?" he asks. "Is that why you wanted me to see this? Did I do this to them? Is that why I can't remember?"

"What? No!" Lucas is quick to reassure him. "Of course not! Why would you think that?!"

"I just..." Claus wobbles a little and decides to sit down. Lucas follows suit. "I can't remember any of the stuff you told me about. For all I know, maybe it didn't happen. Maybe I was the one who caused all this and you're just telling me I was a victim to make me feel better."

Lucas shakes his head wildly. "No, no, no! That's not true!" His movements finally attract his brother's attention, and he uses this to look him in the eyes sincerely. "Claus, look at me. Why would I lie to you about this? If you really did do this, I wouldn't hide it from you."

Claus shakes, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "Then why am I the only human who looks like them? We're _connected_ in some way, Lucas. I must have done something."

"But it wasn't you! It was Porky!"

This only makes Claus angrier. He begins to tremble, tears spilling down his freckled face. "But how do you really know that for sure?! You told me that this...this 'Porky' guy brainwashed me. What if he made me do this while I was under his control? What if..." He pauses to take a shaky breath. "What if I hurt you and Dad?"

"Claus..." Lucas trails off, wrapping him in a hug. He doesn't know what to say. It's true, he knows, that Claus tried to hurt him when he was the Masked Man. But that wasn't really him, right? He was being controlled, he wasn't able to think for himself, he was still just as much of a victim as Lucas.

"Even if I didn't do this," Claus murmured, "I must have done something. Maybe that's why I can't remember. It's my punishment."

Lucas can't stand it anymore. "Stop talking, Claus."

Claus sniffles and looks over at him, confused. "Wha-"

"Stop." Lucas says firmly. He stands up, towering over his brother. "You did some bad things when you were brainwashed, but that _wasn't you._ You had no control over yourself. Everything was Porky's fault!" He gestures to the chimeras, who seem to be in an oddly placid mood today. They're all staring over at Claus, transfixed, as if they can sense that he is one of them. "All these guys were just as hurt as you, but you don't see me turning my back on them, do you?! I want to help you, Claus! I want to help everyone!" He's crying, he knows he's crying but he doesn't care anymore. He used to think crying made him weak, but he feels strong now. "And in order for that to happen, I need you to realize that you deserve it just as much as they do!"

Claus is silent, staring up at Lucas in shock. He's never heard him sound so determined before, so sure of himself. Claus tries to think of something to say in response, but he stops when he feels something nudge him in the back. He turns around and is greeted by a large purple creature with sharp fangs and bright yellow eyes, focusing on him intently.

Claus yelps and nearly leaps back, but the creature doesn't do anything. Instead, it takes another step forward and gently puts its head in his lap. Claus looks down at it, bewildered, and hesitantly reaches out to put his hand on its head. It releases a relaxed breath when he does, so he keeps it there, feeling its tough scales dig into his palm.

"What is this?" he whispers, afraid to disturb the creature.

"That," says Lucas, plopping back down beside him, " _was_ the most ferocious chimera of all."

Claus is amazed, one hand on the chimera's head while the other runs down its body experimentally. He feels the leathery wings, the rough hide, the strangely button-shaped bump on its back.

"That used to be its on/off switch," Lucas explains, "but it doesn't run on batteries anymore. It can't even be pressed now."

The thought of an organic creature running on batteries makes Claus shudder. Did he run on batteries when he was a robot? He hopes not. He doesn't want to wake up one morning vomiting up battery acid.

"Why does it like me so much?" he wonders. Lucas shrugs with a tiny smile.

"Maybe it can relate to you. I know it's never done that to me before."

Claus looks up and notices that more chimeras are starting to gather around him, looking at him with that same curious expression that the purple creature had. This time, he doesn't get scared. This time, he welcomes them, feeling strangely whole in doing so.

Lucas watches them, feeling a surge of happiness rise up in his stomach. He's never seen Claus or the chimeras so calm before. Maybe, he thinks, just maybe, it was a good idea to bring him after all.

"I like these guys," Claus says, a toothy grin on his face, "I wanna visit 'em more often!"

Lucas brightens. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah! You see 'em every day, right? I think I should start comin' too. I think..." He pauses, looking for the right words. "I think it would be...'good for me.'"

Lucas snorts with laughter. "See? I told you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Claus turns back to the chimeras, trying to hide his smile.

Lucas knows nothing will ever go back to the way it was before. He's accepted that fact long ago. But...

Seeing his brother and the chimeras together restores a bit of hope in him. He knows it's foolish, he knows that the scars will always be there, but it gives him something to cling to. Maybe they will be able to move on. Maybe there is hope for them. Maybe they can work things out together from now on.

Maybe they can all heal, one step at a time.


End file.
